The secretary bird is a long-legged bird. It hunts alone or in pairs. Secretary birds can fly, however they prefer to hunt on foot. They eat reptiles such as snakes and small mammals. They kill their prey with their claws by stomping on them to death.

Because they eat snakes and rats some farmers in southern Africa keep teamed secretary birds.

Secretary birds can be found in East and Central Africa. There are not many secretary birds and their survival as a species is threatened.